Breaking Point
by Twilight-Songstress
Summary: Harry isn't the only one who thinks Malfoy's behavior is suspicious... Set during H-BP. D/G one-shot. UPDATED 8/1/10 with new scenes.


**Update 8/1/10: **I wasn't totally happy with the story progression in this, so I added two new scenes to this. Hopefully they made the story better instead of worse : )

Disclaimer: _Harry Potter _belongs to J.K. Rowling.

_**Breaking Point**_

It was no surprise to Ginny that things had changed at Hogwarts — after all, Voldemort was back and a constant sense of fear seemed to hang over the wizarding world once more — so it only made sense that the people there would change too. For one thing, her youngest brother had finally gotten a girlfriend (which may or may not have been a good thing — she couldn't decide, though their public snogging sessions had her leaning more towards the latter). Harry had also changed; the pressure of destroying Voldemort was steadily increasing now that people were recognizing the dark wizard's return, but the Boy-Who-Lived had also taken to flipping through a particular Potions book more often then not. And if he wasn't doing that, he was trying to convince Ron and Hermione that Malfoy was plotting something. While she didn't understand his obsession with the textbook, Ginny was starting to believe what he was saying about the Slytherin… That's why, when she happened to run across him one night leaving the Room of Requirement with cautious glances and a piece of paper scrunched up in his hand, it only seemed logical that she trail him. For security purposes, of course.

She could just hear the soft thuds of his shoes hurriedly making their way down the hall, and it was this noise that she followed, keeping a far enough distance away so that he wouldn't notice the sound of her own shoes on the stone floors. It was nearly curfew — she could only track him so long before she risked the possibility of being caught out after hours — but she was thankful for the silence of the barren halls as she strained to hear his footsteps. She frowned as she lost them completely, but that suddenly became the last of her worries as she rounded the corner to find herself face to face with Malfoy himself. Eyes widening in surprise, Ginny took a step back as his jaw clenched.

"Is there a reason you're following me?" he demanded, his voice livid despite his tired eyes. Quickly wiping the look of astonishment from her face, she let out a light laugh. It was followed by a mental winced when she realized how nervous it sounded. She quickly took on a mocking tone in an attempt to cover it up.

"Why would I want to follow _you_? A little full of yourself, don't you think?"

His eyes narrowed, the paper his hand crinkling as his hand tightened around it. The noise immediately drew her attention. If only she could just figure out what was on that paper… "Don't try and play innocent with me, Weasley."

She sighed, shaking her head with mild exasperation. "Always the bully… When will you learn that I'm not afraid of you?" In a flash, he had his wand trained on her chest, but she had been just as quick. A small, but smug grin appeared on her lips as she held her wand steadily in front of her; he simply scowled in return. Lowering her wand just a fraction, she took a few steps closer as the smile faded into a more serious expression. The look on his face was unreadable, but if she _had_ to label it, she'd call it one of mild curiosity.

"I know you're up to something, _Malfoy_," she murmured, reached up and pushing his wand hand down slightly, her hand lingering on his. Realizing that he wasn't resisting, she let her own wand fall a few more inches. "I don't know what it is, but I suggest you drop it." Her lips curved into a bitter smile as she added, "I think you and I both know the evil side never wins." With that, she let her hand slip from his and turned away. He watched as she strolled back in the direction she'd come from, pausing only to glance mischievously over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

* * *

For the next few days, she took to walking along the seventh floor corridor every once in a while on the off chance that she would run into Malfoy exiting or entering the Room of Requirement. Usually there was nothing suspicious — a few students chatting or rushing to get to class — but she had caught a glimpse of the blonde Slytherin sneaking in while everyone else was at breakfast with a pile of books in his arms. While she hadn't been able to see the titles, she did make a mental note to check for him in the library the next time she made a visit.

After a week passed without another encounter, the thought that Malfoy was up to something still remained in her mind, but the possibility that it was actually _dangerous_ was beginning to fade. With security tightened, it wasn't likely that he'd brought anything harmful into the school, and surely the professors would be suspicious if he started asking for books from the restricted section… Even if he was exceptionally good at potions and transfiguration, there wasn't much he could do with talent alone. What ever his project was though, he was certainly taking it seriously. She hadn't noticed it before, but it wasn't unusual for him to be absent from the Great Hall during meals, and from what Harry had said, he wasn't doing as well as he used to in classes. Eventually, Malfoy's odd behavior left her thoughts all together, allowing her to focus on more important things…

She chuckled as Dean leaned down, pressing a kiss gently against her lips. They had been heading back to the Common Room from Quidditch practice, but had since gotten… distracted.

"I'm still not forgiving you," she told him in a hushed tone, a playful smile gracing her lips as he aimlessly toyed with a strand of her hair. "You shouldn't have let me score that goal."

"What makes you think I _let_ you score? Come on, Gin, you know you can fly circles around me any day."

She rolled her eyes, but was flattered nonetheless, if her growing smile was any indication. "You're not gonna get any better with that attitude," she mumbled before rising to her tiptoes to plant another kiss on his lips. His arms tightened around her waist and he pulled her closer as she deepened the kiss, but just then a jeering voice tugged them back to reality.

"Found something better to do with your time, eh, Weaslette?"

Ginny pulled away from Dean and turned to see Malfoy standing at the other end of the hall, moving towards them. Needless to say, he was not met with a friendly gaze.

"Oh, and you're with a Mudblood. How nice," he sneered, coming to a stop not too far away. Ignoring the jibe, Dean calmly moved his hand to the pocket of his uniform to get his wand, but Ginny stopped him by intertwining her fingers with his.

"You'll get in trouble," she uttered before turning back to the unwelcome annoyance, her voice taking on a sharp edge as she continued. "Get lost Malfoy. We were obviously preoccupied before you so rudely interrupted us." She expected him to drag out the exchange a little longer, but instead he simply shrugged with a smirk.

"Then by all means…" He walked past them, and she was about to face Dean once more when Malfoy added, "But I'd better not find you following me again, Weasley!"

Gritting her teeth, Ginny shot a furious glare at the retreating Slytherin as he vanished down the adjacent hall. Dean studied her curiously. "What was that about?"

She quickly cleared her expression of any trace of disdain before shifting her gaze to her boyfriend, forcing a careless smile onto her face. "Who knows…"

* * *

Stifling a yawn, Draco groped around from his place on the floor for something to use as support; his hand found a dusty old table and he pulled himself to his feet. The room, or what could be seen of it behind the mass of "hidden things," was decorated with stacks of loose papers and open books. And before him stood a massive cabinet, though due to its current state of disrepair, it was about as useless as anything else in the room. He let out a heavy sigh before heading for the door, leaving the scattered mess as it was so he could resume his research later in the day. He had no idea what time it was — it all seemed relative to him now; the only thing he knew was that the end of the year was growing closer and at an alarmingly fast pace. That was the last thing he wanted to think about though… Sleep, now that was a much more pleasing thought.

He rubbed his eyes as he practically dragged himself through the door, leaving his vision blurred when he lowered his hand. Maybe that was why a look of confusion appeared on his face when he saw a mysterious blob of red floating in front of him. After a few seconds, the scene shifted back into focus and he realized the "blob" was Ginny Weasley's garish hair, which happened to frame an amused face.

Draco quirked an eyebrow in surprise before settling into his usual, sneering expression. "What? Got nothing better to do on a Saturday morning?" Was the girl out of her mind? It was true that he didn't know the time, but it couldn't have been any earlier than three — any _sane_ person would be in bed. But then again, he wasn't one to talk…

"Couldn't sleep," she replied simply, moving away from the wall she had been leaning against. She had a curious sparkle in her chocolate eyes as she waltzed towards him, one that gave him the uncomfortable feeling that she was planning something. "You know… Just had this sneaking suspicion that _someone_ was up to no good."

He rolled his eyes as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "And because you're such a good little Gryffindor, you just _had _to find out what it was." She sent him an oddly sweet smile — to say the least, he found it unnerving.

"You could say that…" She folded her arms over her chest as she moved a bit closer, tilting her head up to meet his eyes. "So, what is it you're up to? I mean, you've obviously been spending a lot of time in there," she remarked, motioning to the Room of Requirement. Draco smirked.

"Not like I'd tell you," he quipped before walking past her. "Now get lost, Weasley." His voice slipped into a more taunting tone. "Wouldn't want people thinking you've betrayed Potter." He could hear her laugh behind him.

"Tired, Malfoy? That didn't sound quite as snide as usual…"

He growled in frustration before stopping in his tracks, glaring daggers at the seemingly innocent red-head. "Do you have a death wish?"

To his immense irritation, she snorted with amusement. "Why? Gonna kill me?" she mocked. It was almost like she was daring him to try something, and that only fuelled his temper even more. Scowling, he turned away, fearful that his mask would slip more than it already had. He continued walking and, like before, she continued to follow him.

"So you stay hauled up in there for hours…" she mused, strolling aimlessly beside him, "and it doesn't seem like anyone's ever with you, so it _must_ be something secret." She glanced at him, and then added, "But you're not a Death Eater…"

Instinctively, Draco tugged down his sleeves, which had been rolled up to his elbows. The action elicited a chortle from the girl.

"It's not like there's anything to hide," she stated, laughter bubbling through her words. "But either way, you're doing something troublesome. It's only a matter of time before you get caught–"

Suddenly, something snapped and Draco whirled around, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Would you _stop_ analyzing me?"

The youngest Weasley froze, shock written all over her face. That lasted all of three seconds; her expression quickly relaxed as a sigh escaped her lips. "Calm down. You don't have to be so anxious." Her nonchalant attitude puzzled him — especially when she insisted on getting so _close_ to him when she spoke, something she was doing that very moment. Quietly, she continued. "I'm just keeping an eye on you. I don't plan on turning you in… yet." With that, she stepped back and resumed walking. "It's more curiosity than anything," she told him, her voice rising back to its normal level. When he simply stood there, she paused and peered over her shoulder inquisitively. "Coming?"

If he wasn't so confused — and tired — he probably would have berated himself for just standing there, gazing at her. But at that moment, his brain was failing him. She just shrugged and kept walking.

* * *

The next time he saw her was at the beginning of March, just after breakfast. The entrance hall was crowded as students bustled to get either back to their common rooms or to the grounds to enjoy the nice weekend weather, so it made sense that he wouldn't notice a particular Weasley falling into step beside him until she spoke up.

"We need to talk." The statement was terse and laced with venom — a warning immediately went off in his head. The girl had been causing more than enough trouble lately (trouble he certainly didn't need), and so he did what he should've done in the beginning: he ignored her.

She let out a small noise of frustration. Through gritted teeth, she muttered, "I swear to God, Malfoy, if you don't talk to me, I'm going to Dumbledore and–" He clamped a hand over her mouth, muffling the rest of her words.

"Keep it down, Weaslette," he hissed before removing his hand. After hastily surveying the room and determining that no one was watching, he wrapped a hand around her wrist and dragged her down another, more deserted passage. While she didn't put up a fight, he did notice her hand was hovering near the pocket of her jeans where her wand was stored. Once they'd gone down at least three different halls, he came to a stop and turned to face her with annoyance. "What do you want?"

"Did you do it?" Her face was different than it had been during their other encounters — before, there had always been a hint of playfulness in her eyes, but this time, her face was tense and her eyes lacked anything but anger.

As a reflex, he smirked. "You're going to have to be more specific than that…" Draco prompted, causing her lips to purse and her eyes to narrow.

Fighting back an insult, she spat, "You know what I mean."

"No, I assure you I don't–" The next thing he knew, her wand was pointed at him and a look of fury had finally found its way to her face.

"Damn it, stop playing around!" she shouted, her knuckles turning white as her grip tightened. Then her voice dropped, becoming icy in contrast with her heated gaze. "Did you poison Ron?"

He froze, a flood of terror rushing through him. No… _No._ That wasn't right! He knew Weasley was in the Hospital Wing, but the mead was supposed to go to–

"Stop hesitating!" Her voice was shaking. "Either you did it, or you didn't–"

"No," he answered, his face unreadable as he looked away. "I didn't, but if I had, do you really think I would admit it to _you_?" The hall was silent as she studied his face, her wand still held steadily in front of her. Then her shoulders slumped.

"…You're lying." An eerie, lifeless laugh passed through her lips before her tone became laced with spite. "I should've just turned you in to begin with." She took a step back. Thinking quickly, he grabbed her hand while reaching for his own wand. He couldn't let her leave — he couldn't risk getting caught.

"I don't think so. You don't have any proof!"

She smiled her perfectly innocent little smile. "I think a little Veritaserum ought to do it," she informed him sweetly, punctuating the last word by yanking her arm out of his grasp. She turned to leave. He panicked.

"_Stupefy_!" In an instant, she fell limply to the ground, her red hair fanned out around her. Draco stared with shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The disbelief quickly evaporated and he swore under his breath. He couldn't just leave her there… But what could he do? Lifting his wand once more, he mumbled a spell and she levitated a few feet off the ground. Knowing that the main corridor was probably still littered with people, he led her in the other direction and into an abandoned classroom.

The room clearly hadn't been used for months, as a thick layer of dust covered everything in sight. Draco grimaced at the state of the room as he set the Weasley girl down in a chair, only to have a faint grey cloud of dust appear around her. Just as he was about to cast the counter curse, he remember how dangerous some of the Weaslette's hexes could be — he cast a silencing spell on her before mumbling, "_Rennervate._" She stirred, her eyes blinking open tiredly. Suddenly, they widened frantically and she reached for her wand, but when she went to curse him, no words came out. A furious look crossed over her face as she released her wand in favor of hurling her fist at his face. Startled, he caught her hand just before it made contact.

He exhaled in an effort to keep his voice calm as she fought against his grip. "Listen to me, Weasley." She continued to struggle, and he quickly lost his cool. "Listen to me!" She stopped immediately, instead settling for glaring at him with contempt. "I'm not going to do anything to you," he promised, his tone surprisingly earnest, "but if you turn me in, I swear you'll regret it. Understand?" She rolled her eyes in response. "I'm _serious_." She was really pushing it… "Do we have a deal?"

The red-head sunk back in her seat before grudgingly answering with a nod. "…All right then." He stood up to leave, but stopped when he felt a tug on his sleeve. Turning around, he saw her standing angrily behind him, mouthing something. Draco sneered. "You look ridiculous." She scowled before slipping her wand back in her pocket and raising her hands in resignation. He relented, removing the silencing charm with a flick of his wand as he turned to leave.

"Why?" she demanded, causing him to pause.

"I can't afford to get kicked out of school," he answered almost automatically before mentally wincing. He shouldn't have told her that. What he was doing was suspicious enough without that tidbit of information. In a feeble attempt to recover, he added, "But if I so much as hear that you're going to Dumbledore, that can change." With that, he left.

* * *

To Ginny's relief and mild astonishment, Malfoy had kept his promise. It had been a month since she'd last approached him, and since then they hadn't exchanged a single word. That didn't mean she'd stopped following him though; he'd pretty much admitted to what she'd suspected him of all along when he told her not to go to Dumbledore. But something had changed in his behavior… He was much easier to follow now that he'd been before. Even now, as she sat in the corner of the library, he was standing in plain sight, riffling through a musty book. It was as if he didn't care anymore — that, or he simply didn't notice her presence. Slowly, she lowered the book she was using to hide her face, peeking over the top to see his shoulders slump as he placed the tome back on the shelf and picked up another. His dark-rimmed eyes scanned across the pages wearily, and after a minute, he put it back as well.

Her lips curved slightly as a sense of satisfaction came over her. At least he wasn't getting any farther with whatever it was he was searching for. A different feeling accompanied this one though — could it be… concern? Ginny shoved the thought away, but still, she couldn't stop the pesky emotion from toying with her senses as she gazed at him.

A frown appeared on his lips as he returned yet another book to its place before he ran a hand through his usually pristine hair. It was true; Malfoy's appearance had looked a little more disheveled as of late. At the moment, he looked to be in a total state of disarray, with his tie loosened and the bottom of his shirt left partially untucked from his trousers. She took pity on him really — clearly something was wrong if the usually vain young man had decided something else was more important than his appearance.

Her attention shifted back to the Slytherin when he grabbed his bag from a nearby chair and slung it over his shoulder before heading for the exit. Casually, Ginny stood up and shoved the book she'd been holding back in her bag as she followed after him. There was no point in checking the books he'd been examining — she'd known for a while now that he always went to the "magical items" section of the library. What that meant, she had no clue, but what she _did _know was that he was getting increasingly desperate, and that only caused that damn feeling of uneasiness to settle in the pit of her stomach once more.

* * *

Draco didn't know what time it was when he left the Room of Requirement that day, but he knew it was _late_. The halls were deserted — even the ghosts had retreated to where ever they went at night. The only company he had was the sound of his own shoes on the stone floors and the flickering flames of the torches that hung on the walls. However…

With a scowl, he turned around to see a petite figure attempting to hide in the shadows that clung to the wall. He folded his arms and stared at the girl until she sheepishly came out into the open. "Okay, how did you know?" she wondered.

"I wonder," he spat sarcastically. He turned back around and continued walking. "I just assume you're following me now." She sighed as she followed in his wake.

"I guess that explains why I can never catch you in the act," Ginny mused, locking her hands behind her as she watched the back of his head. He glanced over his shoulder.

"That, and you're just terrible at following people."

She shrugged. "What can I say? I haven't had a lot of practice."

"Really?" he drawled. Even though she couldn't see, she was positive he was wearing a smirk. "From what I've heard, you've done your fair share of following Potter."

"That was blown _way_ out of proportion," she countered with a displeased frown. "Yes, I fancied Harry, but I wasn't nearly as obsessed as everyone says I was."

"Yeah, _right_…"

"Let's not make this about me. Got people standing watch for you now, huh?" He stopped mid-stride, causing her to stumble over her own feet in an effort to not bump into him. She continued, thinking Draco's behavior to be a result of her new discovery. "I saw that girl standing out there this morni—"

"Would you just shut up for a minute?" he hissed. She tilted her head to the side, the image of innocent curiosity.

"Why? What is it?" In response, he shot her a look that caused her to snap her mouth shut. Then she heard what he had: slow, heavy footsteps. She mouthed, "Filch?"

Draco shrugged, then casually sauntered over to a small alcove that was home to a suit of armor and disappeared behind it. When Ginny tried to follow, he blocked her. "Find your own spot."

Scowling, she shoved his arm to the side. "Just move." Forcing herself into what little space was left, she grimaced. Who would've ever thought she'd be this close to _Malfoy_? He seemed to have the same thought, but was viewing it in a slightly different light.

With a mischievous smirk, he met her eyes. "What would that Mudblood you're so fond of think of this?"

Her eyes flared, but she managed to keep her voice low as she said, "Don't call him that." A moment passed, and Ginny added, "Besides, I broke up with him, so it doesn't even matter."

"Oh really…"

"Malfoy, _shut it_."

The footsteps grew louder and louder before coming to a stop. Peeking around the suit of armor that hid them, she saw Filch squinting in the light of the lantern he carried, searching the area for anyone he could turn in to Dumbledore. Suddenly he turned towards them, and she dove back behind their cover. She could barely see the look of annoyance on Draco's face before there was a slight pressure on her arm. He pulled her closer, tucking her in between his own body and the wall. As if he could hear her bewildered thoughts, he moved his mouth next to her ear and whispered in a barely audible voice, "He's going to see that garish hair of yours." She pursed her lips, wishing she could comment on _his_ overly-conspicuous hair, but decided it would be a bad idea to start an argument in such close quarters. That, and the feeling of his breath on her neck wasn't _so_ awful… Cursing her thoughts, she strained to hear what was going on on the other side of the armor.

After a minute, Filch's footsteps could be heard once more, gradually becoming softer as he moved along his route. When they could no longer hear the footsteps at all, Draco spoke up, sounding a little uncomfortable.

"Weasley… I think you can move now." She turned to the direction of his voice and found herself mere inches away from his steely blue eyes. Her own eyes widened as she scrambled to get away from him. In her haste, she bumped into the suit of armor, freezing as it tipped precariously. Draco's hand flew out to catch it just in time to stop everything but the helmet from toppling to the ground. He cringed as the ancient piece of metal hit the floor with a resounding clang.

"Damn it. Are you always so clumsy?"

She began to protest, her cheek burning with embarrassment. "I didn't mean to—"

Draco cut her off with a sigh as he headed towards the stairs that would lead him down to his common room. "Let's just get out of here before you get us stuck in detention." She mumbled in agreement and set off, hoping he hadn't seen her rosy blush as she took the opposite stairs to Gryffindor tower.

* * *

Draco poked at the potatoes on his plate irritably before glancing up again, only to see the Weaslette still watching him. He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, just enough for her to notice, but no one else. She sent him an impish smile in response before raising a spoonful of soup to her lips. He didn't know what kind of game she was playing, but he sure as hell wasn't going along with it. Subtly, he tilted his head towards the doors to the Great Hall before standing up and exiting the room. She must have gotten the message, because a moment later, she slipped through the large wooden doors with an amused expression. The look alone made him all the more annoyed.

"Alright, _Weaslette_," he growled. "Now you're just going too far–"

"What?" she countered with a grin, slowly taking a few steps closer. "Got something to hide, Malfoy?" He scowled at the clear taunting tone of her voice, but something else was weird about her behavior. His name seemed to roll off her tongue… "You know I wouldn't be following you if you weren't up to something, and I think you've made that pretty obvious by now."

"That's not the point," Draco retorted sharply. "Your incessant… _stalking_ needs to stop." Her lips formed a displeased frown at his words, her whole demeanor changing in a matter of seconds.

"Not unless you stop whatever you're doing. I'm not stupid; I _know_ you're up to no good." She folded her arms over her chest defiantly. "If you stop, I'll stop."

A frustrated huff escaped him as he looked away. "It's not that easy–"

"Yeah, not when you're a _coward_." His eyes immediately snapped back to hers, glaring at her harshly.

"Take that back."

She rolled her eyes. "Why? We both know it's true. You're just following him out of _fear_."

Resisting the urge to hex the girl, Draco strode towards her. She winced slightly as he shoved her back against the wall, but she said nothing. Leaning closer, he kept his voice dangerously quiet as he muttered, "You don't know anything." For a while, she just stood there, silently holding his gaze as if daring him to do something. Then her face relaxed as she leaned against the cold stone wall.

"I would if you just told me…" she murmured, her voice holding an emotion that he didn't recognize. "Draco…" She shifted so her body brushed up against his for the briefest of moments, distracting him from what she was saying. "I can help you." There it was again — that silkiness that had been in her words before… How was she doing that? "Just… trust me."

It took him a second to realize what she'd said; a sneer appropriately found its way to his face. "You really think I'd put my trust in a _Weasley_?"

Lazily, she reached up and laced her fingers through his hair, but he was paying more attention to the bitter smile that graced her rosy lips. "What other choice do you have?" He stared at her for a moment, contemplating her question.

"…You must be out of your mind," he finally mumbled, trying to block the smell of her shampoo from invading his senses. It wasn't working. She shrugged, closing the small gap that had remained between their bodies as a mischievous glint flickered in her eyes.

"For once, you may just be right," she whispered before pulling his head down and meeting his lips with hers. Shock caused him to freeze at her touch, but that didn't last more than two seconds; he responded awkwardly, confusion riddling his actions. Nevertheless, he wrapped his arms around her waist and dragged her as close as possible while she moved her lips swiftly over his. Just as she started trailing her hand down his chest, the sound of a massive door opening caused him to jerk away.

"Weasley–" She cut him off with one more soft, lingering kiss before grabbing his hand and pulling him down the corridor as the sound of voices began to fill the entrance hall. He followed her without protest — though that was mostly due to him trying to wrap his mind around what had just happened — and soon they ducked into a secret passage concealed by an elaborate woven tapestry. Her hand released its grasp on his and she took a few steps towards the side of the tiny hall before turning to face him, her cheeks flushed as she bit her lip with embarrassment.

"Don't get the wrong impression Malfoy..."

Something about her sudden shyness didn't make sense — and then it clicked. He smirked as he walked closer; she tilted her head up to follow him with her gaze as he rested a hand on the wall behind her, trapping her there. "And what impression might that be?" She pursed her lips in a slight, unhappy pout as she glanced away before meeting his eyes once more.

"…That I'm actually interested in you."

Draco chuckled, before speaking again, his voice low and mocking. "Is that so? And here I though you were just trying to get me to tell you what I've been up too…" A small twitch of her lips gave her away as he leaned forward, his lips just barely brushing against hers. "But now I'm thinking the 'wrong' impression makes more sense." A small laugh passed through her lips, her breath tickling his face as she lazily played with his tie.

"You wish, Malfoy." With a smirk, he kissed her, his movements slow and languorous. After a moment, she huffed with exasperation and pressed her lips more firmly against his, trying to elicit more of a reaction from him. He complied and backed her into the wall, letting one of his hands rest on her hip while the other wove itself through her hair, pulling her closer. She replied with equal fervor, smiling against his lips. Then, all of a sudden, she broke away, shifting so that her mouth was hovering next to his ear. Slightly out of breath, she said, "Don't think you're off the hook." She felt his body tense for a second before he relaxed, letting his hand fall from her waist.

When he responded, his tone was one of amusement, almost cocky. "You can keep trying, but you're not going to find out anything. No matter what tactics that devious little mind of yours comes up with." He took a step back as she chuckled, her eyes flashing.

A smile formed on her lips. "You should know better than to challenge me." She turned and started walking away, but slowed when she heard footsteps behind her. They stopped not long after; out of curiosity she looked over her shoulder to see Malfoy standing there, staring at the floor. "You'd better hope you're not causing too much trouble." He looked up, his expression impassive. She offered him a slight curve of the lips before she resumed walking, mumbling to herself, "'Cause I'm not giving up…"

* * *

It was with growing impatience and a small frown that Ginny searched through the library, scouring the shelves for a particular book that she needed for a Charms essay due in two days time. The logical thing would've been to ask Ms. Pince, but she was nowhere to be found and frankly, the woman was crazy and best left to her own designs. Of course, as Ginny started her third round on the Charms shelves, she was starting to think asking for help wouldn't be such a bad idea. That was when a splotch of pale blonde hair caught her eye. Shifting her attention to the cluster of tables in the corner, she saw a lone boy seated at the furthest one, his head resting on the large textbook he had open. Forgetting about her quest for the Charms book, she moved closer, only to smile when she got a better look. He was sleeping.

Ginny stood there for a moment, debating what to do next. They hadn't spoken since their rather… _close_ encounter a week beforehand and she wasn't really sure if that was territory she wanted to venture in to quite yet. Nevertheless, she sat down beside him and gave him a little shake.

Groaning, he pulled his arm under his head, using it as a pillow. "Five more minutes…" She fought back a laugh.

"Malfoy, do you know where you are?"

His brow furrowed as his eyes cracked open. "Weasley?" He closed his eyes again. "Go away."

This time, she couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her lips. "You should know by now it'll take more than that to get rid of me." Knowing he wasn't going to get anymore sleep, he sighed and sat up before stretching his arms over his head and running a hand through his messy hair. As he did this, Ginny studied him with bright brown eyes. His eyes were puffy and tired and his already thin face looked even thinner. What little color had been in his face before was almost gone. Instinctively, she reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder, drawing his attention.

"Draco…" she began, her voice serious and unusually somber. "Are you okay?" He met her eyes with a blank expression, as if considering something, before closing the textbook in front of him.

"I'm fine. What time is it?"

A little disappointed, Ginny answered. "Three-ish." The boy frowned, then stood and began to pack. She also stood. "Where are you going?"

"The kitchens. I missed lunch."

"Oh." She stepped forward, gently grasping his arm and turning him towards her before reaching up to straighten his tie. When he sent her an amused look, she simply smiled. "Can't have you looking like you just rolled out of bed, can we?" To her surprise, he chuckled. Not a taunting snicker or malicious laugh — just a pleasant, honest chuckle. Ginny decided she liked the sound.

Tie straightened and belongings gathered, Draco started to leave, but paused after a few steps and turned back around to face her. "Do you want to come with me?"

A look of shock passed over Ginny's features before a grin found its way to her lips. "Really?" He shrugged, his lips twitching ever so slightly.

"You're just going to follow me anyway."

Laughing, she fell into step beside him, not realizing the Charms book she had needed all along was clasped in his hand.

* * *

Ginny had been heading to her common room when she passed him in the hallway, his head bowed as he moved briskly down the hallway. A crease formed between her eyebrows — where was he going in such a hurry? Without thinking, she redirected her course so she was following after him, trying to look casual as she struggled to keep up with his long strides. She turned the corner just in time to see him disappear into a classroom, the door closing with a thud behind him. Upon reaching for the doorknob, she found it locked; that issue was fixed with a quick "_Alohamora_" and she opened the door, slipping into the classroom. He was sitting at one of the desks, his head resting in the palm of his hand. Hesitantly, she stepped forward, only to pause again. His shoulders were shaking…

"Draco?" His head snapped up with surprise and she felt her heart sink when she saw the redness of his eyes. What on earth was going on…?

He recovered quickly. Angrily, he rubbed his eyes before standing up abruptly and storming past her, avoiding her gaze. "Just leave me the hell alone, Weasley…" He was about to open the door when a hand caught his arm, stopping him.

"No, I'm not letting you run away from me this time," she stated, but her voice was soft, comforting. She moved in front of him and looked up to see tears slipping from his eyes once again. "You can trust me." He opened his mouth to retort, but instead, the words died in his throat, replaced by a shaky sob.

At that moment, any barriers that had been put up because of their Houses or names meant nothing — he was simply a boy who had reached his breaking point, and she was a small glimmer of hope in his otherwise dark world. And it was for that reason that she reached out and pulled him into her embrace. She lost track of how long she stood there, simply holding him as he clung to her helplessly... After all, it seemed unfair that anyone should have to face something so terrifying alone.

"G-Ginny–"

"Shh... It's alright. Everything'll be okay..." It may have seemed like an empty promise, but for his sake, she sincerely hoped it would be.

* * *

A/N - Geez, it seems like it's been forever since I've posted anything on here, but it's only been two months : ) Either way, I've missed writing Draco/Ginny, so I decided to work on this little plot bunny that's been scampering around in my head for a while. I tried to keep them in character, so hopefully I didn't fail horribly at that... I'd love to hear what you guys think : ) I'd also like to hear opinions on the ending. I left it kinda open ended on purpose, so any speculations on what happens afterwards would be awesome!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story and thanks for reading : )

-Twilight-Songstress


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